1911 ‘Garden’ Enchants 1991 Audience

It wasn’t Arsenio Hall’s show, but it sounded like it: As the curtain rose at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills, there was a communal roar of “Woo! Woo! Woo!” from the audience, fists raised.

High spirits, not an awareness of what was to come, were responsible--this weekday-morning audience was mostly school kids, giddy with half a day of freedom.

That they were about to see the first offering in the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera’s children’s theater series, presented by the respected Great American Children’s Theatre Company of Wisconsin, was incidental.

But 70 minutes later, the loud applause rang true, honoring a faithful, polished adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden.”

It’s no small feat for a 1911 children’s novel about unhappy people discovering love and friendship to engage an audience acclimated to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Home Alone” slapstick violence.

At Wednesday’s performance there were even scattered sniffles; the message gets through, thanks to Robert Styndel’s smooth adaptation, Leslie Reidel’s uncomplicated direction and a satisfying adult cast.

Orphaned in India, spoiled Mary Lennox (Rebecca Kessel) is brought to England to live in magnificent, gloomy Misselthwaite Manor, where she discovers she must learn to dress herself and to refrain from referring to servants as “daughter of a pig.”

She never sees her uncle Archibald (Howard Lucas), who still grieves over his wife’s death 10 years before and pays little attention to his invalid son Colin (Mark Insko).

Mary’s happiness begins when she discovers a concealed garden dying from neglect, works to make it bloom again and at the same time brings life and joy to the unhappy household.

It isn’t a sumptuous production. Allen H. Jones’ revolving sets, meant to be easily transportable for this touring production, are simple; the huge, gloomy Yorkshire manor on the brooding moor is reduced to a few small rooms, sparsely furnished and painted in muted colors. There is no suggestion of the vastness of the moor; outside is represented only by the walled garden.

But, after some early expository dialogue, the cast and the colorful language connect with the audience. Indomitable, petite Kessel, Alison Stair Neet’s cheery maid Martha and Insko’s pleasurably petulant Colin, who’s a decent kid underneath it all, are easy to relate to. Leon Wilson III as the good-hearted Dickon is a little less real, mainly because he has trouble with his Yorkshire accent--it’s all over the map.

Ellen Lochhead as Mrs. Medlock the cranky housekeeper is fun to outsmart, gruff gardener Ben (Michael Duncan) makes a believable ally and Lucas’ remote uncle brings on the aforementioned sniffles when he finally realizes what his son means to him.

Entertaining and meaningful, here’s a worthy outing for elementary school children; kindergartners and preschoolers are too young.

“The Secret Garden,” Wilshire Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. Mondays-Fridays, 9:45 and 11:45 a.m.; Fridays, 7 p.m., Saturdays-Sundays, 1 and 3 p.m. Ends March 6. $4.50-$15 ($4 on Friday evenings for those showing military I.D.); (800) 852-9772, (213) 410-1062. Running time: 70 minutes.